State Briefs: 11/28/07

Jonie Larson, Regional Editor

Monday

Nov 26, 2007 at 12:01 AMNov 26, 2007 at 9:18 AM

Major road projects planned in Rockford

ROCKFORD – If you like sequels, you’ll love next year’s construction season.

Crews will continue widening the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway to three lanes in each direction through Rockford. Traffic won’t be restricted during peak hours next year, it’ll just shift to the shoulders and slow down. The project will finish in 2009.

Further south on Interstate 39, the northbound bridge over the Kishwaukee River will be replaced, replicating the project that replaced the southbound bridge this year. In this case, traffic will be cut to one lane in each direction.

The third big project planned is the two-year reconstruction of the Cherry Valley interchange on the tollway. The tollbooth will be removed and the curve we be replaced with a less severe one.

The current curve is designed for traffic coming out of a toll plaza, not traffic slowing from highway speed, said tollway spokeswoman Joelle McGinnis. This will allow vehicles to move faster and more safely through the former plaza, she said.

Besides those projects, next year will include another spate of bridge repairs through the Illinois Department of Transportation, mainly along the U.S. 20 bypass.

IDOT will also continue to widen Kishwaukee Street in Rockford and widen the intersection of Illinois 173 and Belvidere Road.

By next spring, transportation officials will have more smaller projects scheduled for the region, including their paving plans.

And wait for 2009, when the Cherry Valley interchange will be closed and traffic will be detoured off the tollway. At the same time, the tollway widening will enter its third year.

Would that make it a trilogy?

Springfield clinic open to saving Lincoln-era home

SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Clinic is facing increasing pressure not to demolish the Lincoln-era Maisenbacher Antiques building and is in discussions with Michael Dunbar to preserve it.

"They (Springfield Clinic administrators) want to come up with some kind of solution as much as we do. We're exploring a whole bunch of different options," Dunbar said last week. "They've given us an extension on the deadline for demolition as long as we're working in good faith.

"We're waiting for people to get back to us with different bits of information that
will go into parts of the solution."

Dunbar, an artist and sculptor who was the first president of the fundraising group that ultimately moved and restored the Iles House, Springfield's oldest home, said he is working with that foundation on the project.

"I am working as a historic preservationist who's had success in the past," Dunbar
said.

Mark Kuhn, chief administrative officer for the clinic, would only say that the clinic has postponed demolition plans while talking to interested parties about moving the house.

The clinic bought the house, whose construction was funded by Abraham Lincoln, and applied for a demolition permit in late October. It has not said what it intends to do with the property, although widespread speculation is that it wants to turn it into a parking lot.

The site at www.cpsc.gov provides a list of hundreds of hazardous toys being pulled from store shelves.

But the list is in no way complete, Durbin says. Investigations by newspapers and private groups continue to find more products with dangers, such as lead paint and loose magnets, that haven't made the official recall lists.

A large part of the problem is inadequate staffing at the commission, where one employee is responsible for testing every toy imported in America with testing devices that are "few" and "primitive," Durbin said.

"At the federal level, we need a much more aggressive effort to protect consumers," the Senate's No. 2 Democrat told reporters during a Sunday news conference at his Springfield home.

The answer could lie in legislation that would increase the CPSC's funding and improve its regulatory practices, which Durbin hopes will pass when Congress reconvenes after the Thanksgiving recess.

"It's going to create new opportunities for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to be larger, fully staffed and be able to respond to the needs for American consumers, not just when it comes to toys but all kinds of products," Durbin said.

Winter Wonderland all lit up for visitors

EAST PEORIA – East Peoria's Festival of Lights' Winter Wonderland opened for the 23rd year on Sunday, giving Peoria area residents a chance to stare at intricately lighted displays from the warmth of their car.

Winter Wonderland is open every night through New Year's Eve except on Christmas Day. Gates are open from 5 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 5 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $10 per
car and more for other vehicles.

This year the festival is staffed by volunteers from community organizations and businesses during the entire festival, said Jill Peterson, public relations coordinator for the city of East Peoria. In past years, most nights were staffed by volunteering city employees.

She said that, originally, the festival was going to be a one-time-only event but was turned into an annual tradition because of public enthusiasm.

For the fourth time, the festival was named one of the top 100 events in North America by the American Business Association.

Two armed, masked men rob market in South Peoria

PEORIA – Police continue to search for suspects in an armed robbery that occurred at a South Peoria market on Saturday night.

Two men – one wearing a white mask, the other a black mask – entered South Metro Market, 2421 W. Starr St., shortly before 9 p.m., announced they were conducting a hold-up and ordered everyone on the ground.

Owner Bader A. Qattum told police about five customers were in the store at the time when the men, one armed with a knife and the other with a handgun, approached the cash register and demanded money. Qattum gave them about $800, as well as his wallet. Another employee also gave the suspects his wallet. The wallets had a combined $170.

Officers brought in a police dog but couldn't locate the robbers.

Peoria woman charged for alleged hit and run

PEORIA – A Peoria woman who hit a pedestrian and left the scene on Friday was arrested a few hours later and booked on a charge of felony hit and run with injury.

Moredock was transported to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center with a broken leg. He was listed in fair condition on Sunday night.

He was crossing Western to talk to Wright when she pulled away from the curb and struck him, according to police reports.

Wright was arrested at her home a few hours later. She told police she dropped off Moredock after they fought. When he came running toward her car, she pulled away and he struck the front of it. She said she drove away because she was scared.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.